Gas-producer.



No. 640,048. Patented Dec. 26, I899. M. TAYLOR.

GAS PRODUCER.

(Application filed Nov. 2, 1899,

(No Model.)

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W WW-e w Q mv m NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE TAYLOR, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

GAS-PRODUCER.

$PEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,048, dated December26, 1899.

Original application filed February 1, 1899, Serial IND-704,136. Dividedand this application filed November 2, 1899. Serial To all whom it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE TAYLOR, a citizen of the Republic of France,residing at Paris, Department of the Seine, France, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Producers, (being adivisionof my application filed February 1, 1899, Serial No. 7 04,136,) of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a gas-producer which is ofsmall weight and is without any scrubber requiring a current of waterand which will supply richer gas than the ordinary poor gas-producersand which can easily be regulated and kept in repair. The producer isapplicable for use in all cases where a cleanly and simple installationrequiring little attendance is desired, and in particular it will befound serviceable for autocar high locomotive and like traction. It willfeed a gas-engine drawing in gas direct by means of its working piston.

With these objects this invention consists in certain special featuresof construction forming a novel apparatus, which I will proceed todescribe.

The accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, representsa vertical section of my gas-producing apparatus.

The apparatus consists of a gas-producer a, wherein the fuel is placed,such fuel being admitted through a door I) and a chargingslide 0, sothat the producer contains a supply of fuel suificient for a number ofhours operation and a further supply is charged in through the slidingdoor a, as required.

The fuel is supported by a grate formed with or secured to thecleaning-door d, which can be quickly opened and closed by means of apivoted lever e and a screw f. q

The gas issues from the producer through an orifice g and attached pipeand passes through tubes h, surrounded by the water, which is containedin a tank 01, which communicates with another tank having a floatwhereby the water therein is maintained at a constant level.

Under the action of the heat of the gases passing through the tubes hthe water in the first-mentioned tank ibecomes converted into (Nomodel.)

vapor and passes into the furnace along with the air in properproportion.

Upon leaving the before-mentioned tubes h the gas passes by a pipelcinto tubes Z, which are cooledby contact with the air or other coolingmedium, the cooling-surfaces of such tubes being sufficient to effectthe complete cooling of the gas as it passes through them.

On leaving the tubes Z the gas passes by a pipe n into a chamber m,containing water, the pipe at terminating a little above the surface ofthe water in the chamber m, so that the gas impinges on such water, andashes and dust contained in the gas are retained upon orin the water,while the cooled and cleansed gas passes to the engine through asuitable pipe 0.

As the gas is cold when admitted into the chamber m, containing thewater, the said water is not evaporated and will serve its purpose for aconsiderable time-say all day. Before setting the apparatus in operationthe water charged with ashes and dust should be drawn off and a freshcharge of clean water be substituted.

An air and steam supply pipe 10 at one end opens into a jacket 1 whichenvelope or partly envelops the lower part of the gasproducer and opensunder the grate at the base of the furnace. The said pipe 10 iscontracted at its upper end 4. Thesteam under constant pressure isconveyed from the vap orizer it through the before-mentioned pipe j, theend of which is directed toward the orifice of contracted pipe 10, sothat when the engine does not draw in gas from the gas-producers thesteam escapes into the atmosphere through the said orifice r.

Upon the contracted pipe 19 between the furnace of the gas-producer andthe point where the steam-pipe j opens there is an air-inlet pipe 3, theadmission of air being controlled by means of a cock 2?.

In the apparatus described the pressure of the steam is constant, itbeing precisely the pressure which is required to cause such steam tocirculate through the system of pipes and to escape in proportion as itisproduced. If it were necessary that the pressure of such steam whileconstant should be higher than the pressure attained in the manner firststated, it will suflice to provide ordinary constant-pressure feeders inthe vaporizer.

When the fire has been lighted at the level 9 and covered over withcharcoal, so as to fill the gas-producer, the engine is set inoperation, the pipe of such engine, which serves to draw in gas, havingfirst been connected with the gas-pipe 0.

I willsuppose the air and steam to have been mixed in the requisiteproportions in the manner hereinafter described. As a result of thesuction exercised by the motor such air and steam will pass from thecontractedended pipe 19 to beneath the grate and through the fuel in thefurnace, wherein consequence of theoxygen contained in the air and ofthe steam coming into contact with the red-hot charge they will becomeconvertedinto a gas consisting of carbonic oxide, hydrogen, andnitrogen. The gas thus formed is conveyed to the engine through thepassages g n 0 and chambers hereinbefore described. XVhile passingthrough the tubes 9 h in the tank 2', containing water, it will heat thewater, which as it becomes vaporized supplies the steam required for theproduction of gas. In passing from these tubes through the passageshereinbefore referred to, is Z a, the gas is cooled, and on passing intothe chamber m, containing cold water, the gas gets rid of its impuritiesby coming in contact with the water. Lastly, the said gas proceedsthrough the pipe 0 to the engine in a cooled and cleansed condition.

The arrangement for regulating the proportions of the air and steamdrawn in to produce gas operates as follows:

As the engine operates to draw in a charge if the air-inlet cook 25 beclosed all the steam is carried into the gas-producer by the airentering through the orifice r of the contracted pipe 19, so that amixture as rich as possible in steam is drawn in. If, however, the cookon this contracted pipe 19 be fully opened while the engine is drawingin, air enters through such cock and fills the vacuum formed in thegas-producer, while the steam, owing to its pressure, escapes throughthe contracted orifice r, so that air only is drawn into thegas-producer.

If the air-inlet passage 8 for air to the contracted pipe 1) bethrottled by means of the cook 75, a draft of air through the contractedorifice will form in proportion as such air-inlet contracts, and thecurrent of air thus created will carry a proportionate quantity of steamalong with it into the producer, such quantity being in all cases equal,given the same aperture of the cook 75.

When the exhausting action of the engine does not take place, either inconsequence of the action of the regulator or because the piston isgoing through the other phases of the cycle, the whole of the steam willescape through the contracted orifice r, and none will enter thegas-producer. It will be understood that owing to this-arrangement amixture of air and steam in any desired proportions can be drawn intothe gas-producer and that no steam can enter the gas-producer unless itbe mixed with air in suitable proportion, this being an indispensablecondition for maintaining in the furnace a temperature sufficiently highto insure a satisfactory decomposition of the air and steam.

From the time of drawing in the air and steam until the gas generatedenters the engine the current meets with no resistance calculated tointerfere with its circulation, except that oifered by the friction inthe passages and that which results from the passing of the gas throughthe charcoal. As charcoal forms no slag, the grate never becomesclogged, and its sectional area, together with that of the spacesremaining free between the pieces of charcoal, are in all cases largerthan the sectional area of the pipes through which the gas is conducted.The resistance offered to the gas as it is drawn into the engine istherefore not greater than that encountered in petroleum-carburizers,and inasmuch as a gas-engine operates perfectly well where its workingpiston draws in gas into a carburizer its operation will be quite assatisfactory where it is made to draw in a gaseous mixture through theapparatus hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The combinationof a fuel-receptacle, a

cooling-tank with pipes, a connection between i said tank andreceptacle, a chamber with tubes connected with the cooling-tank, a pipeleading to the said receptacle and having a contracted outer end, and apipe leading from the cooling-tank and terminating within thelast-mentioned pipe, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the fuel-receptacle, a cooling tank, a connectionbetween the same, tubes within the tank, a pipe leading to thereceptacle and having a contracted end, a pipe leading from thecooling-tank and terminating within the contracted end of the said pipe,and an interposed device for regulating the proportions of air and steamdrawn in to produce the gas, as set forth. I

3. The combination of the fuel-receptacle, the coo1ing-tank with pipes,the connection between the receptacle and tank, the pipe leading fromthe jacket around the receptacle and contracted at its outer end, and asteampipe leading from the cooling-tank into the said pipe andterminating within the same, as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the fuel-receptacle, the grate and a jacket aroundthe lower portion thereof, a pipe leading from said jacket with itsupper end contracted, a tank with pipes, a connection between the sameand the receptacle,a steam-pipe leading from the tank and terminatingwithin the contracted end of the air-pipe, and an air-inlet with valvebetween the said jacket and the point where the steam-pipe enters theair-pipe, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination with the furnace and the cooling-tank, of an air andsteam tube under constant pressure, said air-tube having a'contractedopen end and the steam-tube terminating therein, the discharging-orificeof [0 the steam-tube being opposite to the air-entrance, wherebydischarge of the steam is permitted when the motor fails to draw it in,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- I 5

